The Silver Protector
by HaveCourageAndBeKind
Summary: HIATUS. Hermione can't fight the pull of the midnight sun during her 8th year. She quickly finds that it all has to do with a silver protector and a potentially dangerous bite. She know she must become acclimated to the lifestyle of the wolf, but she doesn't seem to mind as much as she originally thought. What does Fenrir Greyback have to do with it all anyways? Werewolf!Draco
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 _Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale._

The breeze of the night air covered her like a blanket. She allowed her lungs to be filled to capacity of the cold air with deep breaths. Standing alone under the midnight sun allowed her to feel at ease. The fresh scent of the forest and nearby flowers gave her an aroma that relaxed her. She only could calm down and loosen up in solitude, and she could not get that surrounded by her classmates.

She understood why they hovered her. She spent the past year on the run searching for dark artifacts, only surviving one day at a time. Her two best friends decided to go right into Auror training without completing their N.E.W.T.s and for the first time she was by herself.

Except… she wasn't really by herself.

Everyone tried to befriend her. Hermione Granger. _War Heroine. Brightest Witch of Her Age._

It's all rubbish to her. She missed the days where she was known as the bookworm. Classmates _understood_ not to approach her in the library, unless they we're looking for homework help. Now she couldn't have a free moment to herself in the castle unless she was in her room.

Even then, she was constantly interrupted in her Head Dorm by Ginny and Neville checking to see if she was okay. She always gave the same answer.

 _Yes. I'm fine. I'm sleeping okay._

Except… she wasn't really okay.

She was pretty sure her friends just accepted her answer because she's _Hermione Granger._ She is a strong, capable witch. She won the war, there's no reason for her to be plagued by dreams.

But every night she would try to close her eyes to sleep and her dreams were harassed by the dead and fallen. She dreamed of that tormented day where she was tortured within an inch of her sanity. She usually woke herself up with her own screams, drenched heavily in sweat, and her body trembling.

The trembling wasn't uncommon, however. Her limbs still frequently shook due to prolonged exposure of the _Crutatious._ Hermione had never been one to wish ill will on anyone, but she would give anything to awaken Bellatrix LeStrange from the dead and kill her again slowly.

The only other person who left her alone was the head boy, _Draco Malfoy._

She had to give him props for coming back to school. She and Harry fought hard to keep him out of Azkaban, especially after he didn't identify them willingly at Malfoy Manor. Looking back over the years, Hermione noticed he usually stayed out of her way. Only antagonized Harry and Ron.

In fact, the last time she could remember him calling her a mudblood was the 3rd week of November in their fourth year after the first task of the Triwizards Tournament. She rounded a corner quickly and bumped into him, knocking over all of their combine belongings. They helped each other up, and she felt him linger with his hands on her hips a touch too long. As if he noticed the same thing at the same time, he jumped back and growled, "Stay out of my way Mudblood. Never put your hands on me again."

She didn't reply. How could she when she noticed there was no venom dripping from his lips?

In fifth year, when he was in the Inquisitorial Squad, she noticed him always lurking around the corner from the Room of Requirement. Yet they were never caught until Marietta Edgecombe ratted them out. Hermione smirked to herself thinking of the _SNEAK_ written upon her face that will never fade. The bitch had it coming to her.

That was not the point though. The point was, if Malfoy always knew when they were meeting and where, why were that not confronted with the Umbitch prior to then?

Sixth year was the worst year by far for Hermione. By October she noticed the platinum blonde's pale skin greying. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He didn't even go out of his way to antagonize Harry or Ron. Even though Harry was obsessed with finding out whether or not he was a Death Eater. Hermione always defended him, knowing there was something eating up the boy, and the last thing he need was Harry Potter on his arse on everything he did.

She knew he was marked. Not that she ever told Harry, and she didn't even regret not telling him. She heard crying behind a tapestry during her patrols and she hid around the corner to see who it was. She wasn't expecting Draco Malfoy to walk out with red rimmed eyes running his hands through his messy locks.

He looked so… Human.

She had noticed blood dripping through his white oxford shirt and she watched him carefully roll up his sleeve. She had to cover her gasp, not because of the fact his pale skin was marred with a symbol of her death wish, but because of the slashes the ran through the magical tattoo. She watched him sigh, say a quick healing spell, and walk away.

She wanted to reach out to him, to tell him he didn't have to be alone in whatever he was doing. But then she remembered Harry following his every move, and that damn map.

She did what she could, however. She learned his schedule quickly, and left food in his normal study spot in the library often. Occasionally she would leave a small vial of dreamless sleep. She even felt her heart warm when she saw a smile smile tug at the corner of his emotionless face when he received his small gifts.

She spent the rest of the year watching him. Yearning to reach out. But then the fatal night happened with Dumbledore. She heard Harry's version of the story over and over, and every time she couldn't help but imagine that he was forced to against his will. Hell, he couldn't even go through with it. He lowered his wand.

He refused to identify them.

His tormented face.

Every night in her nightmares she would find solace in the silver eyes staring her down with a twisted look on his face. She watched his mother hold his hand and his father place a hand on his shoulder.

He wanted to help. He wanted to help _her._

She was glad he didn't, otherwise he would have been murdered on the spot. Or perhaps, tortured for a while and then killed. Or be forced to watch his parents be tortured. She could never be sure what the sick bastard would do. She thanked Merlin everyday for Voldemort's demise.

She never knew how to bring the subject up to him. She wanted to tell him how he helps her through her nightmares, but it was always tricky to bring up the war. In most cases, the best thing to do was avoid it at all cost.

She knew he didn't come out of the war unscratched. She knew he had demons in his closet as well. He looked at her most times with a longing look to discuss _something,_ but he always turned away and avoided her gaze. He gave her polite greetings, and occasionally would sit in silence with her by the fire to read at night.

His gaze burned through her, though. Anytime he was watching her, she could feel him. She couldn't understand the sensation, but she could always feel his piercing grey eyes on her. In the library, class, their tower, just anywhere. Most of the time she tried to hide her blush and not acknowledge the fact that she knew he was staring.

The quite nights with him helped, but she always felt the night call to her. She loved to hear the sounds of life surrounding her, to balance out all of the death she saw. She loved to take off her shoes and wiggle her toes in the grass, feeling the earth beneath her feet.

She learned to meditate over the summer, and she found that it helped her tremors and ease her mind. She tried to spend an hour outside every night. Headmistress McGonagall knew, of course. She was able to receive _special_ privileges due to the fact she fought in a war before the age of 19, but she made the Headmistress call it Head Girl privileges.

This night in particular she felt compelled to go into the forbidden forest. There was an opening of a beautiful meadow that she found and laid down in. She looked up and basked in the glow of the full moon. She listened the birds chirp, the frogs croak. She heard rustling of trees and knew the creatures of the night were out, but she didn't feel afraid.

It wasn't until she heard a particularly low growl when she felt her senses finally kick in. She perched herself on her hind legs to sweep her gaze around the edge of the clearing.

She came face to face with a pair of glowing eyes. _Yellow, golden irises._ Eyes she immediately knew were a pair of werewolf's eyes.

She couldn't run, that would only send the wolf into defense mode and attack.

She couldn't approach the wolf, again it would feel threatened and most likely attack her.

So she stayed still, as still as she possible could be. The only thing she could hear was her heart throbbing in her throat and her ragged breath alarming her that she was afraid.

When the werewolf sauntered into the clearing she came face to face with a beautiful creature. She was mesmerized by the silver and white fur adorning its body. She immediately felt the need to run her fingers through the soft fur and bury her nose into his body.

She didn't know how, but she knew it was a male. Maybe it was the way he showed an heir of dominance over her.

She watched as the wolf slowly approached her, and still showing his sharp teeth. She stayed on her haunches and lowered her gaze in an act of submissiveness. She felt a warm breeze and knew he was close enough to smell her.

She hoped that maybe he would sniff her, find that she was no danger to him, and go on his way.

She was not expecting the slow lick on her neck that sent a shiver down her spine. His tongue felt smooth, unlike the rough tongue of her feline companion, Crookshank's. She felt him nuzzle into the curve of her neck and she turned to look him in the face.

He looked her over curiously, trying to figure out her next move. She couldn't tear her eyes from his yellow irises as she reached her hand slowly forward and ran her hands down his neck.

Soft. Silky. Wonderful. Were the only words she could find to describe how his fur felt.

She felt a bit braver and sat up with her legs crossed in front of her. She looked away from his gaze and back to the night sky. She traced constellations with her hands as she talked about each one.

She felt a warm body curl around her back protectively, and felt him rest his face on her thigh. She leaned into the warmth and stroked the werewolves head. She swore she felt him hum.

She never felt safer than she did around her wolf.

 _Her wolf._ She though again. She didn't understand why it felt so right for her to think that.

She laid down and snuggled into the body heat. She felt his soft breaths raise her head on the inhale and fall on the exhale.

 _Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale._

She opened her eyes after a couple moments and realized it was morning. The sun was shining bright over her face and she listening to the peaceful harmony of the creatures in the forest rise from their rest. She turned and noticed her wolf was gone. In place however, was a small transfigured pillow and blanket wrapping her.

Someone nearby was her wolf. _And_ they cared enough to make sure she was comfortable once they left. That thought melted her heart. She wished she knew who it was, but set her mind on researching more about werewolves in the meantime.

She strolled back toward the castle and realized it was the first peaceful night of sleep she had since 5th year, before the battle at the Department of Mysteries. She felt well rested and rejuvenated for once, and all she wanted to do was thank her wolf.

She entered the head dormitory and stopped briefly outside Malfoy's room. She brought her hand up to knock on the door to check on him, until she realized it must still be unnecessarily early. If the yells she heard at night from his room were any indicator, she would say he also had dreams plagued with nightmares.

She turned around and walked to her room, not before she looked back quickly to his door and felt a sudden compulsion to see if he was okay.

That wasn't important now. She would think about that later. For now she had research to do so she could find her wolf.

* * *

 _A/N: updated 6/6/18_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Hermione felt small stones fly underneath her shoe as she bounded along the gravel pathway. Lately she seemed to have more energy and running was the only way to blow off steam. She couldn't stay around Malfoy for long without feeling a wave of desire rush through her, and she had no idea how to stop it. It didn't help that he has been spending the evenings sitting in front of the fire. Reading.

With no shirt on.

She couldn't help but shiver at the thought of a handsome half naked Malfoy sitting on _their_ couch. He even wore endearing reading glasses that suited his pointy and sculpted face.

Sadly, they still haven't made it past pleasantries. She knew there was a storm brewing underneath their civility. That's just what Malfoy did to her, and what she did to him. They pushed each others buttons. She knew he could keep up with her in intellectual debates and he had a sense of wit about him.

She's tried engaging him a few times in a stimulating conversation, but he found a quick escape and politely excused himself. She craved to yell; to be passionate; to release all of her emotions that she bottled up.

She need Draco Malfoy to _give her something._

So instead she ran. She pushed herself to run a loop around the castle and the Black Lake. She had a cassette tape of music that she was able to play that motivated to drive herself faster. She didn't feel relaxed unless she could barely move her legs and sweat drenched her body.

She conjured up a glass and water and chugged the contents. Finding a shady patch under a tree by the lake, she just plopped herself down to catch her breath. She closed her eyes and felt the warm blanket of sunshine wash over her body. She hummed in contentment as she tried not to fall asleep.

She shook herself to wake up and pulled out a copy of a text on werewolves and continued where she left off. She was curious over Lycanthropy infections now that she was trying to find her wolf and devoured the information she learned.

She could tell there was a distinction between Remus's form as a werewolf and the wolf who comforted her. Remus was so thin she could she the definition of his bones. He didn't look like he had a coat of fur. Remus had also forgotten to take his Wolfsbane so he attacked them without his right mind. He wasn't able to control the wolf within him.

Her wolf looked more like an actual wolf than Remus. So were there different strains of lycanthropy that affected your appearance? He looked larger than an average wolf, but still a wolf none the less. His body was covered with soft fur that she wished she could bury her face in again.

She took particular note on the Mate section. She learned that a werewolf can mate and bind himself to another. In order for the mate bond to work, they have to be compatible with each other. However, werewolves also have to ability to detect their soulmate. The soulmate and the wolf would have a separate bond already, the soulmate bond, making them a particularly powerful couple if the wolf claims their soulmate as their mate.

If their mates are bitten by the wolf when they are not fully transformed, the mates can develop lupine traits without becoming a full fledge werewolf. The more lupine their mate becomes, the more enticing they become to their wolf. It will be harder for the wolf to be around their mate without claiming them the more lupine they become. They would never be able to force themselves on to their mate, however. Much like Veela, their mates have to accept their wolf.

Depending how strong the bond is between the wolf and their mate, the mate will develop different lupine characteristics. Some may only develop an affinity to raw meat, much like Bill Weasley when he was bitten by an untransformed Fenrir Greyback. Some may become more warm blooded, and can have an increase sexual affinity when they're in heat. The more lupine mates will grow canines and mark their mate as well. They will become irritable days before and during the full moon. The most interesting fact Hermione learned was that it was easier for more lupine mates to have an animagus form of a wolf.

A rustle nearby broke Hermione of her trance on her textbook. She quickly closed and shrunk the book to put it in her pocket, knowing that she was not supposed to have smuggled it out of the library. She was surprised anyone was awake at the hour, last she checked it was before 8 am on a weekend morning.

She looked up to see Draco Malfoy walking her way. He looked exhausted. Maybe she could brew them some dreamless sleep to help them through their nightmares.

"Can I sit here?" she just nodded.

They sat there for a couple minutes together in silence watching the waves of the Black lake.

"What are you doing up so early?" She asked glancing at him.

"This is where I come when I can't sleep." His gaze never left the water. "What are you doing out here so early Granger?"

"I come out to run. Being outside is the only place where I feel free to be myself. Hogwarts use to feel so safe to me and now I can't do anything without people knowing or asking me questions I don't frankly want to tell them." She sighed.

"About the war you mean?" She was momentarily caught off guard by his clarification.

"Y-yes. About the war." She stuttered out. "Sometimes I feel like you're the only person I can feel relaxed around nowadays." She noticed his eyebrows raise into his hairline before his face settled back into it's normal stony mask.

"I'm the last person you should feel comfortable around Granger. I've spent the last seven years making your life hell. I'm Death Eater scum. For goodness sake I watched you get tortured right in front of me and I stood there and did nothing. I haven't even apologized to you for all the shite I've put you through. I'm not one of your downtrodden house elves that you have to save, I don't need your pity or to fight my battles. I never asked you to stand at my trial and plead my innocence. I am nothing but innocent Granger. I have done terrible things in my life," his face was becoming more red and he angrily punched the ground, "I still hear their tormented pleas. I still here you screaming in pain every time I close my eyes. I know you don't really want me around so please don't pretend to be nice to me." He went to stand up and Hermione grabbed his wrist. He looked at her with guilt ridden eyes.

"Draco Malfoy I do not pity you. I am certainly not making you out to be some project to try to save, nor do I believe you are innocent," he opened his mouth to argue, "Shut your trap!" She yelled. "I am trying to talk to you." She watched as an amused look plastered his face from her outburst.

"No I do not believe you're innocent. I know that no matter what you were always going to be Draco Malfoy, The Prince of Slytherin. Pureblooded bully and heir to the Malfoy fortunes. You were raised to think of me as a mudblood, someone not worth the dirt on your shoes."

Draco cringed slightly but stayed silent.

"That's who I saw for the longest time too. I saw the boy who was amused over my potential death in second year. I don't know what changed, but sometime fourth year you stopped calling me a mudblood all together. Your remarks towards me lost the venom they normally carried. By 6th year... I… I've never seen anyone so broken. I saw through your mask and saw the boy you were. I could see that you were in pain. That's when I started to believe that maybe you weren't exactly a willing participant. I realized you were never really raised with a choice." She felt tears well up in her eyes thinking about the shattered boy from two years ago.

"I did though. I had a choice! I had a choice and I choose wrong. I could have asked Dumbledore or the order for help. I was a coward only looking out for myself. _HE_ threatened my mother's life. He told me he was going to give her to Greyback and force me to watch. He told me he was going to give me to Greyback myself after and let him have his fun," He scowled at his own memory, "I could have asked Dumbledore for protection for us. He was a powerful wizard and could have helped us, and I did nothing. I choose to let the Death Eaters into our school. I put everyone's lives at risk. Then I couldn't even kill him myself. I looked at the man who had never harmed me and I could not preform the curse." He looked away and she saw him brush the back of his hands against his eyes to get rid of angry tears.

"Draco," she said softly, touching his shoulder. She felt a jolt of electricity and saw him flinch but waited for him to turn around and meet her gaze.

"Dumbledore knew. He knew of your task to kill him. He was already dying from an infection from a cursed object. It was the plan all along for Snape to kill him instead of you. They couldn't tell you though in case Voldemort used Legilimency on you and realized Snape was a spy for the Order. I'm sorry, I didn't even find this out until Snape's death."

He sat there with his head hanging into his hands. "They must have not thought about the consequences of that plan though. They forgot that the Dark Lord had a cruel sense of punishment when things don't go his way." Hermione gasped.

"What did they do to you?" She asked meekly. He held her gaze for a second, looking like he was going to confide in her, but then let out a sigh. "It doesn't matter anymore. It's over with."

"I'm so sorry. I wanted to do something for you that year. Anything." She said barely above a whisper. He let out a dark chuckle.

"You are too good for this world Granger. I didn't deserve your kindness then. I still don't."

"I like this you." He whipped his head around. "I like that you're letting down your guard a bit. Showing your vulnerability. I don't think you're a bad man Draco. I think maybe you could be better if you let yourself. You don't need to continue your role as the villain." She got up and started to walk away.

"Granger?" She turned around and saw him standing up facing her.

"I am sorry. For everything. Every name I called you. Every time I teased you for how you looked. Every time I made you feel less than what you really are. You are a brilliant witch. I always thought so." He blushed and looked away.

"I'm sorry for almost getting Buckbeak killed. I'm sorry for letting in the Death Eaters to this school and trying to kill Dumbledore. I'm sorry about… _that_ day. I don't expect you to forgive me for the things I've done, but I want you to know I am sorry."

"I forgive you." She said without missing a beat. "I don't blame you for the latter either." He looked confused.

"A conversation for another day. I think I've hit my capacity for talk about the war for today." She replied in response.

"Okay."

She walked away, restraining herself from running back and wrapping her arms around the boy.

* * *

 _A/N: updated 6/6/18_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The two Head students fell into a comfortable routine throughout the three weeks after the conversation by the Black Lake. Nothing about the war had been brought up since, but Draco began acting more normal around Hermione. They did their work together every night at the table provided for them in their common room. They asked each other questions on things they didn't know and often ended up in heated debates. Hermione enjoyed learning more about the way Draco's mind worked. She enjoyed learning about the mysterious boy in general.

She learned that he took his tea black with two sugars. Like her, he typically forgot to eat meals without a reminder if he was lost in work. He often asked his house elf who came to Hogwarts with him, Mipsy, to bring them both dinner to their common room. Which usually ended in an argument about house elf rights between the pair. Draco tried to explain to Hermione that Mipsy was like family to him and treated very well. Hermione still thought the elves deserved some sort of compensation and rights that protected them from abuse. She gave up on her plight for their freedom, however. Realizing with Mipsy that they truly did enjoy to work and Dobby was an exception.

She learned that Draco's favorite color was not actually emerald green, but he enjoyed rich blue shades. Hermione enjoyed the days he sported his favorite colors because they made his eyes look even more beautiful. Not that she actually told him that.

She learned that he actually enjoyed muggle classics. They often had disputes about the literary works of Shakespeare and Hemingway. She gave him a few of the muggle books she brought with her for him to read, and he let her borrow some old tomes about potions.

She played him some muggle music off of a cassette player she brought and noticed he enjoyed the classic rock. It was humorous to her to hear him hum to tunes of The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin subconsciously while working on a potion during class. She saw Dean Thomas eye him a bit from a cross the room, making her bite her lip to hold in her laughter at her friend's realization.

She learned that Malfoy had a sweet tooth. He would constantly munch on Honeyduke treats from Hogsmeade. She made a note to bring back muggle chocolates and candy for him to try the next time she went to the muggle world. His mother also sent him many treats from home, and he even shared one of his cauldron cakes his mother made for him once. She was surprised to learn that Narcissa Malfoy knew how to bake, let alone actually enjoyed it.

The time spent with Malfoy often left Hermione feeling relaxed and calmed. She enjoyed that he usually met her out at the Black Lake in the mornings after her daily run. He occasionally ran with her as well, and Hermione enjoyed having a partner that pushed her to run faster.

She noticed one day that Draco began to feel ill. He looked paler than normal and he even looked a bit grey. Not dissimilar to what he looked like during sixth year. He didn't seem to pay attention of any of their classes, and she even caught him sleeping during Professor Binns lecture in History of Magic. He didn't show up to any of the meals one day, leaving Hermione feel exceptionally worried. She went back to their common room to find him wrapped in blankets on the couch, but drenched in sweat. She reached down to feel his forehead and felt that he was burning up.

She ran up to her room and found a fever reducing potion. She tried to gently wake him up, but he woke with a start, grabbed both her wrists, and positioned himself on top of her on the couch.

"Malfoy. Draco, its me, wake up. You're okay. No one is here to hurt you." She saw his face go from anger to confusion, and then he finally realized the position they were in.

Hermione's body felt like it was on fire. She was incredibly turned on by the way he pinned her down, even though she knew he was dreaming. She felt him grow hard as he realized he had a witch pinned beneath him and he subconsciously ground into her. She bit back a moan before she saw his face turn red and he quickly sat up and away from Hermione.

"I'm sorry about that. Thank you for waking me up. I'm still sleeping on guard."

"Oh its no problem. I still only sleep a few hours at a time from our time on the run. We had to sleep in shifts to make sure the locket was secure." He gave her a confused look and she realized she said too much.

"Um, I brought you a fever reducing potion. I saw that you were burning up. I know you haven't been feeling well lately, and I made copies of my notes from today since you didn't look like you were paying attention." She rushed out quickly holding the bottle to him.

"Thanks, but that stuff doesn't work on me." This time it was her turn to give him a confused look.

"My body just doesn't process it. I'll be fine in a few days. Thanks again for the notes." He stood up and walked upstairs, closing and locking his door.

Hermione sagged into the couch and released a loud sigh. She felt like they were making such process and she didn't want to see him revert back to him just being cordial with her.

She hated to admit it, but she found that she really enjoyed spending time with him. He made her feel more normal, and didn't treat her like she was made out of glass. He knew she could hold her own and didn't hold back from how he felt. She enjoyed the brutal honesty, and the way her skin tingled with excitement every time they had a disagreement.

She spent most nights in their common room with him instead of making trips outside for fresh air. However, she realized that tonight was the night of the full moon and she wanted to see her wolf again to see if she could find anymore answers. She dressed in warm clothes and grabbed a book before she left to find the same clearing in the forest as she did the following month.

Once she was finally there she heard the melody of the nature around her. As she transfigured an extra shirt into a blanket, she hummed along with the sway of the wind. The goose bumps erect on her skin as the breeze washed over her. She laid on her blanket and looked at the stars. She named all of the constellations she saw overhead.

Ursa Major and Minor. Capricornus. Taurus. Cygnus. Cassiopeia. _Draco._

She traced the constellation of Draco, inwardly worrying about the man with the namesake laying down back in their dorm.

She was brought out of her reverie by a rustle of the bushes and she felt excitement course through her veins. She _knew_ it was her wolf. She could feel in deep down in her bones.

She turned around and saw the beautiful golden eyes surrounded by the bright silver fur that glowed in the moonlight. She smiled and waited for him to approach. Much like last time, he advanced towards her slowly before inhaling her scent deeply.

He sat down and looked at her with a curious look. She melted into his gorgeous eyes and ran her fingers through his fur.

"You're beautiful" She whispered.

She waiting for him to comfortably place his body around her again and she snuggled into his body warmth.

"I wish I knew who you were," She started, "I feel so protected around you. You make me feel safe. After surviving in a war and spending years in uncertainty of whether or not I would make it out alive or not, you cling on to every bit of security you can find. I don't know why, but I feel connected to you." She fell silent as she watched the peaceful sky.

"Its funny, that the only people who make me feel safe and comfortable nowadays is a werewolf I don't know the identity of and an ex death eater." She laughed.

"Two people that normal people would try to avoid and I can't help but to gravitate towards you two. I mean Malfoy is such a mystery to me. I can tell that there's more to him than what he shows on his exterior. He carries himself with such pride, but I can tell deep down that he is just as broken as me. I wish he would let me in, my wolf." He seemed to perk his ears at her declaration of being hers. He gave her a small lick on the top of her head, almost urging her to continue.

"It helps that he's nice to look at too. I try so hard not to but when he walks around our common room without a shirt its hard not to want to jump him. I've been trying to run in the morning to relieve some of the tension I feel but I don't know how much longer I can carry on like that."

If Hermione could only see the face of the wolf as she was talking to him, she would have been able to notice the almost smug look on his face. However, she was still staring up on the sky, rattling on about the boy she pretended she wasn't beginning to pine after.

Hermione sat up suddenly and looked her wolf in the eyes. "Will you tell me who you are one day?" She questioned.

She waited patiently for an answer before she saw him give a quick but definite nod of agreement. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him on the side of his face.

"Goodnight my wolf. I shouldn't fall asleep outside again. Thank you for making sure I was comfortable last time. Until next month." She scratched gently behind his ear and felt him melt into her touch.

She watched as he walked back into the forest as she packed up her belongings. On her walk back to the castle she noticed him following her about 10 meters back. She smiled to herself knowing that he was making sure she was safe.

When she fell into bed she closed her eyes and smiled. She dreamed of silver and gold.

Silver eyes and a pale golden halo of hair.

* * *

 _A/N: updated 6/6/18_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Hermione woke up and dragged herself out of bed. She crawled down the stairs to make herself a cup of coffee in their kitchenette. The rich aroma filled her nostrils as she held her mug of coffee to her face. She let out a long sigh as she mentally prepared herself for the day.

At that moment, Malfoy walked down the stairs. He was wearing nothing but silk sleep pants and he was sporting tousled hair she wanted to run her hands through. He smirked at her, giving her a knowing look that he knew she was looking him over. She felt her face warm up as she looked away.

Lately it seemed that Malfoy only walked around without a shirt on. It was if he knew how he made her feel and was purposely trying to get a rise out of her. She watched as he stretched his arms above his head as she tried not to look at his muscular frame. She tried to pretend that she didn't notice the soft blonde patch of hair that trailed down under his loungewear. She tried to pretend that she didn't want to feel how hard his body felt against her own.

She set down her mug, a tad more forceful than she wanted. "I'm going for a run." She said aloud as she took the stairs two at a time to her room to change into running gear. As she reached the doorway to leave she heard Malfoy call after her.

"Are you going to wait for me Granger? You know, I think I like this running hobby in the morning. It makes me feel more awake and ready for the day," he said with a bit of pep. It was as if he knew she was trying to escape his presence and was aiming to make her more uncomfortable.

He followed her in silence to the entrance of the school. She appreciated the tight jogger pants he must have ordered after he started running with her. He was also wearing a grey sweater to keep him warm in the fall breeze, but also light enough to give him room to breath when he exerts himself.

As they walked down the stairs to the grounds, Hermione tripped over a rock on a step. Malfoy's quick reflexes grabbed her arm as he snaked his other arm arm her waist to steady her. "You alright Granger?" He asked without letting go.

She realized she was still staring at him without replying. She couldn't help but to feel his touch burn down to her skin, and recognized that his body still felt abnormally warm.

"Malfoy, your burning up." She said lazily, not wanting him to detach himself from her.

"I always knew you thought I was hot Granger." He let her go and gave her a cheeky smile as she scoffed at his answer.

"Are you sure you're alright to run?" She placed her hand on his face without thinking, "It feels as though you still have a fever." She bit her lip and looked him in the eyes and saw him give her a heated look.

He placed his hand over hers and unhurriedly brought it back down to her side. "No Granger, that's just how I always feel around you." He gave her a wink and turned around to start a leisure jog.

Hermione caught up to him easily, but there was something about his words that made her think he was only kidding a little bit. She knew she felt herself warm up whenever he was around her, but there was something peculiar at how hot his skin actually became.

During their silent run, she let his actions throughout the past few months run through her head. He was acting uncharacteristically lately. She originally just thought that it was do to the aftermath of the war, but she felt like it was something deeper. He seemed to have a bit more of a temper lately, and often got into fierce arguments with his friends, but he never once lost his temper around her. He had been opening up to her more often, which surprised her greatly, but there was something odd about the timing.

His quick reflexes. His constant fever. His illness every month around the _full moon._

Hermione stopped in her tracks. _How could she not see it before._ She was supposed to be the brightest witch of her age. She rested her hands atop her knees a drew deep inhalations to catch her breath.

Malfoy must have realized he lost his running partner and quickly came to Hermione's side.

"Hermione, are you okay? Are you hurt?" He looked at her with genuine concern. She didn't let it go unnoticed that he called her by her given name.

She knew that if she said anything to him now he would retreat back into his shell and stop letting her in. She could not and would not let that happen.

"Yes, I'm fine Draco. I just have a stomach cramp. I may have to go back inside." She didn't miss the way goose bumps erected on his body when she said his name. "You can keep on running, I'm okay." She finally caught her breath and stood up straight. His gaze never left her.

"I think I should walk back with you. Maybe you should go to Madame Pomfrey to take a potion to help with the pain. You'll be uncomfortable in you don't take care of it now."

She smiled at his concern. "Don't worry, I have some potion to back back at the dorm. I'm just going to head back there." She started walking towards the front doors on the castle and appreciated the fact that Malfoy followed her back. She allowed herself to look over at the boy and saw genuine worry painted across his face. She watched as a drop of sweat ran down his face from his soaked hair. She didn't know why, but she reached over and stopped the drop in its tracks and wiped it from his face. He looked up at her in surprise before she felt embarrassment rise in her body.

They approached their Head Dorms in silence and Hermione sent a quick thank you his way before going into her room and shutting the door.

Draco Malfoy was a werewolf. He was _her_ wolf.

That was the only thing that made sense to her. It would explain why she felt such a pull to both of them. Why she felt so safe in only their company. It made her wonder though, what does that mean? Does that mean she's his _soulmate?_

Why hadn't he said anything to her? The wolf would have been able to smell it on her, she was sure of that. Did that mean he didn't want her as his mate?

She had to tell herself to slow down. She didn't even know for a fact that Malfoy was a werewolf. She still had to prove that first before she could let herself get carried away thinking about mates and bonds.

She knew the next full moon was about a week away. If she could just act normal until then, she can at least make sure her wolf would meet and listen to her.

* * *

She walked outside the night of the full moon a bit more bundled up than usual. Now that it was the middle of November the night air was a bit frostier than her other two nights outside. She transfigured an extra shirt into a blanket again and awaited her wolf.

She felt more anxious about their encounter tonight. She planned to ask her wolf to stay with her through the night. She knew that it was Draco, and she only hoped that the wolf would trust her.

For the third time, her heart fluttered at the sight of the majestic wolf approaching her. This time he seemed to trot over, apparently excited about her arrival as well.

The wolf circled her before licking her cheek and nuzzling his nostril into her neck and shoulder. Hermione wrapped her arms around the wolf and rested her head on his back.

After a few short moments, they settled into the same position they had been meeting in, with the wolf wrapped protectively around Hermione and her resting her head on his neck. She laid here for a few moments in silence watching the stars, silently praying that this conversation would go well.

"Draco." She simply said, as she felt his body tense and ears perk up.

"Draco is out tonight in the sky." She lifted her hand and aimlessly traced the constellation as she felt the wolf relax his muscles, realizing she was talking about the sky.

"You know my wolf, I am really starting to like him." She started quietly, hoping that showing her vulnerability would help. "Malfoy that is. I find myself gravitating towards him more everyday. I find myself enjoying the way he chews on his quills when he's deep in thought. How he is incredibly grumpy in the morning until he has his coffee. How he challenges me with a single raise of an eyebrow. I find myself waiting for the next moment I hear his laugh, and I always hope I'm the only who causes the laughter to fall from his lips." She sat up and looked over.

"You see I released something important the other day. We were out on a jog together when I made a very important connection, and I had to stop and let myself catch his breath. Do you know what he did?" She waited and watched as the wolf gave her his undivided attention.

"He stopped and came to see if I was okay. He had genuine concern plastered on his face. I couldn't help but to think 'who would ever believe that Draco Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin, cared enough for the Gryffindor Princess and notorious muggleborn to offer to bring her to the Hospital Wing.' No sarcastic comments, no remarks over how I got myself into that situation. Just genuine concern. In that moment I decided that yes, I do indeed like Draco Malfoy. I have for a while now too, but it took me a while to figure it out." She paused.

"Draco, I am sorry for it taking so long to figure it out. I know it's you. I know you are _my_ wolf. I think when morning comes around we have a lot to talk about." She stared him into his bright golden eyes and reached a hand out to caress his face. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against his fury one, and closed her eyes.

"Will you please stay with me?" She whispered so quietly she wouldn't be sure he would catch it if it were not for his sensitive hearing.

She felt him nod against hear face as he leaned forward and licked her skin again. They sat in comfortable silence as Hermione enjoyed the way his fur protected her from the fall night air. She felt his chest rise and fall with each breath, and she nuzzled herself further into him to hear his heartbeat. It wasn't for long until she was lulled to sleep.

When she finally woke up to the calls of the morning birds, she found herself wrapped in another blanket, but alone. She shot up suddenly and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she looked around.

But there he was. Sitting across from her with his legs criss-crossed and staring at her intently.

"Hi," She whispered sleepily.

"Good Morning Granger," he whispered back.

* * *

 _A/N: updated 6/6/18_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Hermione stared at Draco in disbelief. Sure she had worked out that he was her werewolf, but seeing him in person to confirm it was something entirely different. He had on a pale blue long sleeve shirt that hugged his biceps. His pale hair was damp with sweat and fell in his face. He was twiddling with his thumbs and looking and Hermione cautiously.

She leaned over and crawled on her hands and knees over to him. She saw his pupils blow at the act as she reached up and pushed his hair out of his eyes. She let her her hand linger on his heated face. "I knew it was you. I just don't know how I didn't see it before." She whispered to him.

"Well to be fair I didn't want you find out." He looked away from her.

"But why? Why didn't you want me to know?" She turned his face so he would look at her.

"Don't you get it? I was ruined the moment _he_ punished me with this curse. The moment people find out who I am- No, _what_ I am, I will be turned away from all work. People won't want to do business with someone like me. Not only will I be on the outcast of the Purebloods for no longer being able to carry on the purity of the Malfoys, but everyone else will leave me as an outcast for being a werewolf and a Death Eater. I will be nothing. I am nothing." Angry tears filled his eyes and tried to get up to leave.

"Draco, please." She placed her hands on either side of his face. They now were both up on their knees and Draco was trembling. She compassionately dried away the tears in the corner of his eyes.

"You are not nothing. You are Draco Malfoy. You are someone I feel safe and comfortable around. May I remind you that you are an _ex-_ Death Eater. We will fight all of those prejudiced arses who wouldn't want to deal with you because of your Lycanthropy." She gave him a sad smile.

"Hermione, I don't deserve you. Don't you see that? I spent years teasing you and making fun of you, yet here you are saying you would help me deal with the skeletons in my closet. I don't deserve your help." He placed a finger on her forehead and traced it down the side of her face.

"Tell me, Draco. Is this… feeling only one sided? Do you feel what I feel?" She worried her lip between her teeth.

"No, it's not. But Hermione, If anything happens between us, your name is going to be dragged down with me. They are going to call you horrible names for being with a Death Eater. They will be ruthless, and I don't want you to be hurt. What happens if your friends stop talking to you? You may say that you're okay with that, but I would never want you to start to resent me."

"Draco, I don't care what the public says. I never have, and I never will. All that matters to me is whether or not you want to be with me. I told you Draco, you are the one person that makes me feel safe and secure. Not Ron. Not Harry. You. I don't know why, there's just this magnetic pull to you." Draco looked at her sheepishly.

"Draco is there something more you would like to tell me." She started stroking his feather light hair.

"Hermione, It's been so hard for me to stay away from you. I wake up and look forward to seeing your bright smile. To hear your addictive laughter. The way you curl your hair around your finger when you're nervous. The way you bite your lips when you're deep in thought. How adorable look when you're angry and yelling at me over something you're passionate about. I've been living through the little moments we've had together. Staying up and working with you on our school work. Sitting by our fire reading our own books. When you make extra tea just in case I'd like one. You're right there is something more." Hermione sucked in her breath.

"I knew the moment you were brought to Malfoy Manor by the snatchers. I was in my room and could smell fresh grass, parchment, and vanilla. I knew you were there. The moment I saw you I knew I had to protect you. I felt it deep down to my core that I had to save you at all cost. But I didn't. I stood there like a coward and watched you be tortured by my deranged Aunt. I let my soulmate almost lose her sanity right in front of me." He was openly crying now over what had happened. She pulled him into a tight embrace and run her hands up and down his back.

"Draco, you did what you could. You didn't identify us. I saw you try to step forward to help me. I saw the anguish in your eyes. I don't blame you for what your Aunt did and I never will. I don't want you to put aside what we have because of this. Please, you have to forgive yourself."

She grabbed Draco's head within her hands and brought his lips to her. She kissed him with every bit of raw passion she could. She wanted him to feel how she felt about him. She felt him wrap his strong arms around her waist and push her even further against his body. He leaned further into the kiss, and it was everything. In that moment she felt like everything would be okay. That she was finally complete with him. She pulled away slowly and placed her forehead against his.

"Please don't give up on us. I want to give us a try. I… for as long as you will have me I will stay by your side. And maybe one day you'll ask me to be your mate, and I will say yes." She kissed his forehead, and then both cheeks and his nose. She opened her eyes and saw him stare at here with his stormy grey eyes with dilated pupils. She swore she saw flecks of gold in his eyes as he watched her.

"Okay, okay. Let's give us a try. I want to keep it quiet for a bit though." He raised his hand when he noticed her opening her mouth to protest. "I'm not embarrassed by you, but you _should_ be embarrassed of me. I don't want to drag your name down just yet. I don't want to cause any problems during the school year." He kissed her again and stood up, bringing her up with him.

She smiled at him brightly and took his hand. They walked side by side all the way to the castle, not knowing what to expect for the path they were about to take.

* * *

 _A/N: updated 6/6/18_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"So, how is life living with the ferret?" Ginny was laying on her stomach on Hermione's bed watching Hermione try to pick out an outfit for Hogsmeade.

"It hasn't been that bad, Gin. He's awfully quiet, and when he's not being a git he's quite intelligent and funny." She started smoothing out potion through her curls.

"Not to mention he's pretty to look at." Ginny said smugly.

"He is quite pretty to look at," Hermione snickered at the other witch, "Just wait until I tell the boys you find Draco Malfoy attractive." Ginny blanched.

"Ron would go ballistic, but he would become even more crazy when he finds out that you are into Malfoy."

"You wouldn't," Hermione turned around to give the witch a death glare.

Ginny jumped up and snorted. "But you didn't deny it. You're totally into Draco fucking Malfoy. When did that happen?" Ginny was now laughing hysterically.

"If I was, would you be upset?" Hermione asked quietly. Ginny got up off the bed and went over to Hermione and placed her hands on the other girl's shoulder.

"Hermione, you are like a sister to me. It's been killing me to see you so withdrawn this year. I haven't been pushing you because I know you three went through a lot of shite together, and I wasn't sure if you wanted to talk about it or not. I have noticed one thing though. You went from being completely cheerless for the first couple months of school, and then suddenly you starting smiling again. At first I thought maybe it was the boys sending you mail, but I got one from Harry a few days later saying they haven't heard from you in a while. I became curious over your new change of heart and started watching you. Really look at you. I saw you blushing and smiling to yourself. I saw you look over your food towards Malfoy several times over the past few weeks, and peculiar enough, he was watching you more too. I had a feeling that something was going on. It is not my judgment over who you choose to be with, as long as your happy I'm happy. I can just hope you're truthful to me and tell me what's going on, because I have really missed you." Hermione began to tear up and hugged the girl fiercely.

"Oh Gin, I am so sorry I didn't come to you sooner. I've had a hard time readjusting."

"So, how is he? Malfoy, I mean." Ginny grinned at her.

"Well nothing really started until last month. We've been on talking terms for awhile, but mostly he was just cordial to me. I found myself trying to goad him into a fight." Ginny gasped. "I know, I know. But everyone here was acting like everything was so, normal. Malfoy use to rile me up and our arguments were quite passionate. I thought that maybe if I got him to argue with me, I would feel less… empty."

"I know how that is. Ever since the end of the war I thought Harry and I would get together and start our life. I wanted to marry and raise a family with him. Then one day he just looked at me and I knew. He didn't want to get back together with me. Just said, 'Gin, there's still Death Eaters out there. I can't rest until we get them all.' He didn't even explain it further. Just hugged me, kissed me on the cheek, and told me to have a good school year." Hermione leaned over and wiped a tear that was falling down Ginny's cheek.

"I don't think Harry will settle down for awhile. I am so sorry Ginny. He's just spent his entire school career being chased by madmen, and I don't know how he'll ever assimilate into regular life." She rubbed Ginny's back to comfort her as she rested her head on Hermione's shoulder.

"I know, and I've finally come to terms with it. It doesn't mean it doesn't sting any less." She sighed.

You'll find someone who cares for you Gin." She smiled positively.

"Actually, there is someone who I have been crushing on for a while now." She blushed and refused to meet Hermione's eye.

Hermione raised her eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Actually he's quite good friends with Malfoy…"

"Let me guess, you want me to try to figure out if he's into you too?" Hermione was smirking at the red headed girl.

"I mean, I know he's good friends and comes here often."

"Wait a minute. Blaise? Are you talking about Blaise Zabini? Womanizing Blaise Zabini?" Hermione was openly giggling.

"Shh, shhh. We don't know if they're here. Yes, he's quite the charmer. I've found him staring at me quite a bit, but I don't know if he wants a one-night shag, or actually is into me." Ginny's face was as red as her hair.

"Okay Gin, I'll see what I can do."

The girls laid back onto Hermione's bed and spent the rest of the hour catching up over what's been going on in each other's lives. Hermione knew that she couldn't tell Ginny that she was Draco's soulmate, as that wasn't her secret to tell, but she was bursting to tell someone. She reminded herself to ask Draco when she saw him next if she could tell her friend about their bond.

It was now December, and the Holiday's were coming up fast. Hermione has spent almost all of her free time with Draco in their common room. Now that they've cleared the air, Draco was putting in all of his effort to charm Hermione. She lived for the moments that he would tuck a hair behind her ear and kiss her temple. Or being able to read at night laying on his chest. She often found herself waking up next to him on the couch to the dying fire and his light snores.

She found she quite enjoyed watching him sleep. He looked so innocent and angelic. His soft blonde locks in disarray from sleeping. His mouth opened slightly while he was breathing deeply. The rise and fall of his chest while his heartbeat thrummed rhythmically. Him holding onto her possessively and the feeling of his fingertips brushing the skin just under the hemline of her shirt.

She enjoyed snogging him too. Things have become quite heated lately. She could tell that Draco liked to annoy her into fighting with him and then passionately push her up against a wall when she least expected it. Sometimes he would pick her up like she weighed nothing and tossed her over his shoulder and fling her into the couch before crawling on top on her.

She loves the feeling of him between her legs with her wrapped around him. She loves running her hands through his hair greedily. She loves the moans he would emit when she playfully nibbles and licks the shell of his ear.

She quite enjoyed the animalistic side of Draco Malfoy if she had to be honest. Ever since she told him that she accepted the wolf, he had let his primal side out a bit more.

They haven't gotten to the point of shagging yet. Hermione still had so many questions left to be answered about werewolves mating habits to be comfortable. She always questioned how Draco knew what he was doing. He always just shrugged and told her it was instinct.

She thought about asking Remus questions, but she got the impression that Remus still hadn't accepted the fact that he was a werewolf. Plus, she didn't quite feel comfortable asking the man she looked up to about the sexual habits of werewolves.

And again, It was not her secret to tell. But it reminded her to send a note to Remus and Dora to see how they were coping with the loss of her father and how little Teddy was doing.

She still wished she could find someone to talk to that had experience with werewolves. Draco's wolf had become completely smitten with her to not to mark her as his, and she was nervous with how much she enjoyed the heat to their relationship.

To be honest, she enjoyed the overprotective and possessive side of Draco. She's noticed him lightly growling if she leans over too closely to one of her male friends, like in Potions with Neville. She's also noticed his smug look once he realizes her eyes darken with lust over his possessiveness.

She knew it would happen soon. Every time she spends time with Draco she can feel a part of her yearning to be his. To be marked. To be his forever.

Sometimes it scares her over how fast their relationship progressed. It settled her slightly knowing that Draco was her soulmate. There was no one else more suited to her than him. He would do whatever he needed to do to protect her and keep her safe. She didn't feel any more secure than she does when she is wrapped tightly in his arms with his nose inhaling her hair.

Whenever he's close by to her, he nips at her neck. Not enough to break the skin, but enough to know he wants to mark her. There was one place in particular, right about her pulse point, where he has nipped at so much it was almost permanently bruised. She didn't mind it though. She knew it was another way of him claiming to the world that she was his, even if they couldn't go out with their relationship yet. She couldn't help the wave of lust she would feel every time he would run his tongue over her bruise, and she couldn't wait until he marked her as his.

They currently were both getting ready to go on a date in Hogsmeade. Of course it was under the presumption that they had Head Duties together. Hermione climbed out of the bed that her and Ginny were snuggled up in and went the the mirror once more.

She knew that Draco loved her hair down and running wild. She pulled on a pair of dark skinny jeans and a soft rose pink sweater. She knew underneath she adorned a set of lacy white lingerie with tiny emerald green bow ties. She smirked at the look Draco would give her if he saw her in it, knowing she picked it out just for him.

She added a touch of lipstick and mascara to her face. She finally laced up her leather brown boots and grabbed her hat and coat.

"Oh, someone looks like they are all ready for a date." Ginny winked, "Oh wait, I mean Head Duties." Hermione giggled as they walked out the door.

As they walked down the stairs, they noticed two figures in the living room. She smirked up at Ginny when she realized that Blaise was standing around waiting for them with Draco.

"Granger! Hurry up. We need to make sure we head out before all of the little gremlins leave."

"You mean the children, Malfoy?" She raised her eyebrow at him.

"Same thing." She snorted and he smiled at her laugh. They turned around and noticed both Ginny and Blaise staring at them with smug looks.

"So, Zabini, are you joining us? This lovely witch is tagging along with us as well." Draco looked at her shocked. Last he knew this was supposed to be _their_ date.

"Are you sure Granger? I think we're going to be quite busy with our duties." He growled out causing Ginny to snort with laughter.

"Oh please Malfoy, they're our friends. It could be nice to all go together." She leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, "Play along andc maybe you'll be rewarded for good behavior."

He immediately perked and looked at her with wide eyes. "Yes, why don't the four of us go to The Three Broomsticks. We can camp out there until our duties are done and we can enjoy a nice lunch." He said politely. Blaise and Ginny exchanged looks with each other.

"Alright then, let's go!" Hermione grabbed Ginny's hand and tugged her out of the portal. The four walked together to Hogesmeade and talked civilly with each other. Once they reached The Three Broomsticks, the boys went to grab drinks while the girls tugged off their coats and claimed a both by the window.

Draco came back first and slid next to Hermione, leaving the only other open spot next to Ginny. Blaise walked back and noticed immediately that the two head students were sitting next to each other closer than two people who are just on friendly terms would. He squinted his eyes at them and sat down next to Ginny, casually tossing his arm around her back. He smirked at the blush crawling up her face.

The conversation turned less civil and more like four old friends. Blaise had a wicked sense of humor that had the girls laughing so hard that they had to clutch at their sides from cramping. They were enjoying their meals together when Hermione felt Draco inhale deeply, stiffen, and let out a low growl.

The other three were surprised with his outburst, but then Hermione raised her eyes and fell upon a set of brilliant green eyes and another set of deep blue. The raven haired boy was staring at Hermione with a confused look, while the other was scowling harshly with a reddened face.

* * *

 _A/N: updated 6/6/18_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Harry, Ron, what are you guys doing here?" Hermione tried to keep her tone flat, hiding her worry about the outburst that was bound to happen.

"US? What are _you_ doing here, with that, that, that _Death Eater?"_ Ron was shouting now and the pub was so silent you could hear a pin drop. All eyes were on the confrontation.

"Ron, you need to calm down. You know that Harry and I spoke at his trial. You _know_ that he was forced to take the mark unwillingly." Her voice was quiet and steady, but felt the tears that threatened to fill her eyes.

"So? He still made our lives miserable for _years?_ After all of that, how could you be sitting here holding a conversation with him? I cannot believe how naïve you are to think that he could ever change. You aren't smart as I thought you were if you fell for that bollocks."

Everyone in the Pub took a collective gasp.

* * *

Draco's eyes were focused on the sight in front of him, barely able to take his eyes off the enraged male who was too close to his mate.

His mate was defending his honor. Not that he deserved her too. His chest puffed with pride knowing that she believed in him that much to stick up for him in front of her best friends.

Friends that she stuck through a bloody war with.

 _Oh Shit._

He snarled at the words of the red head. There was no way he could have just said that.

Not to _her._

His blood boiled and he omitted a low and dangerous growl.

"Weasel, I didn't think you could quite be _that_ dim witted. You didn't just say that you thought the _Brightest Witch of Our Age_ and _The Girl who brought down The Dark L—Voldemort_ wasn't that smart. You really couldn't be that dumb, could you?" Draco sneered at the red head in front of him.

He looked and saw that his mate was holding her head tall and had a look of defiance in her face, but her eyes deceived her. He could tell how much her friend hurt her with his words.

He watched as a silent tear trekked down her face, he held himself back from reaching out and wiping it off.

He growled again and took a step towards the red head before he felt a hand on his wrist, holding him back. He softened when he saw that Hermione had reached out and physically touched him in front of everybody.

His wolf immediately calmed. He felt the desire to hold her in his arms and inhale her scent, making sure that she was safe. That she was protected.

The Boy Wonder, who up to this point just sat there silently up until this point, took a step towards Hermione and Draco.

He extended a hand towards Draco, quirking an eyebrow.

"Malfoy, at one point you extended your hand for friendship with me 7 years ago. To be honest, you were a prat and I am glad that I didn't take it then. However, if Hermione believes you've changed enough to not mind being in your presence, or even going out of her way to spend time with you, then I trust her judgment. Especially since you stood up for her to Ron," he turned and sent a glare towards his friend, "I think it's time to call a truce."

Draco took a second to look at the hand in front of him, before reaching out and shaking it. "Thanks Potter," he said simply. Not much more had to be said.

"What are you doing Harry. _He's a death eater."_ The red head's face was beat red, and had an enlarge vein on his neck.

"The war is over Ron. There is no us and them anymore. It's time and move on and head towards unity. Did you not listen to a single word Hermione said this summer? If we don't try to build bridges with those willing, things will never change."

Hermione rushed over and knocked Harry over with a hug.

"Thank you Harry. I love you."

"Of course Hermione. You're like a sister to me. You've always been by my side, and I know you always will be. The least I can do is help when you try to change the Wizarding world." He kissed her on the cheek and brushed away the tears falling down her face.

The moment was interrupted when Blaise stood up and made his way towards the group. Everyone in The Three Broomsticks still watched the scene in front of them, barely taking their eyes away.

"Well Potter, if Draco can make a truce with the Boy Savior, so can I. My names Blaise Zabini, I spent 7 years tormenting you, and then tried to be neutral during the War. While I never was a Death Eater, I never stood up against it. I have nothing against Muggleborns, especially with Granger proving everything we ever learned was wrong. I hope we can move on from the past."

Harry took no time to take the outstretched hand in front of him. "I'm sure we can manage that. Especially if the Lions and the Snakes seem to be friends now," he raised his eyebrow, pointedly looking at Hermione, and then Ginny. _We'll talk later,_ it seemed to declare.

Draco watched as the Weasel huffed and stormed out of the pub. Potter and Blaise were now having a civil conversation about Auror training. He looked over and saw Hermione staring at him with a glint in her eyes that he couldn't quite read.

She smiled at him and his wolf was appeased. He wanted to mark her and make her his for everyone to see. He inhaled deeply and was comforted by her scent overwhelming his nose.

His interest was peaked when he smelled her arousal as she was looking at him. He almost lost it right then and there.

She wanted him. She _wanted_ him. She wanted _him._

He walked over to her, trying to will himself to stay calm. She looked up at him and smiled and worried her lip between her teeth.

"Thank you for standing up for me to Weasley,I know he's your friend." He said quietly, leaning down towards her ear. He felt her take a sharp inhale of breath as his nose brushed the shell of her ear.

"Of course, thank you also." Her voice quivered a bit and the scent of her arousal became stronger.

"Thank you for what?" He furrowed his brow.

"You stood up for me to Ron too. I mean you may have not said it outright, but it your own odd way you stood up for me."

"You are my mate, _Hermione._ I will always deal with those who hurt you. I will always protect you." He grinned like a chesire cat when he saw her pupils dilate. He knew that she liked his possessiveness of her.

He leaned down again, placing his lips to her ears, not minding that everyone was looking at the pair. "What do you say Hermione, have I been a good boy?" He heard a small gasp escape her lips that he was sure only he could hear due to his sensitive ears. He was thankful that no one else would hear that delicious noise leave her lips.

She nodded her head shakily, almost as if she didn't trust her voice to speak.

"Well then, it seems we're almost off duty. I think I could go for a nice cup of tea back in our common room, how about you?" She shook her head again and bit her lips. He suppressed a moan.

He walked over to Blaise, Potter, and the She-Weasel. "Hey you guys, Hermione is a bit upset over the Weasel's outburst. I think since we are done with our duty, I'm going to bring her back to our dorm to settle her with a cup of tea in front of the fire. I hope you don't mind." He turned to walk away at Potter's quick nod but Blaise spoke up first, looking smug.

"A cup of tea sounds great! Potter, Red, you in?" He scowled before he put on a fake smile and turned back around. He swore he heard the She Weasel let out a quiet snicker under her breath.

"Yeah I would love to see these Heads dorms. I've got a bit more time before I have to head back for Training. Let me go let Ron know that I am off—" He cut off Draco who had opened his mouth, "and that he is _not_ invited."

Draco groaned and went back to Hermione. "Why is Ginny smirking at me?" She asked.

"Well, they took it upon themselves to also invite themselves over for tea." He growled at her when she began to laugh.

"Oh you stop, we'll have plenty of time alone together after they leave." She winked at him and his wolf began to pant. Now he just needed to make sure the others leave quickly.

* * *

 _A/N: updated 6/6/18_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Hey Red, pass me the bottle." Draco watched as his friend shamelessly flirted with the Weaselette. Tea together apparently meant sitting around for hours talking and drinking booze. Draco was currently brooding in the corner sofa chair while everyone else laughed and chatted.

He watched Potter's face closely to tell if he was jealous over his ex with another man, but he seemed indifferent to Blaise's and Weaselette's interactions. Interesting.

He watched Hermione from across the room as she threw her head back in a fit of laughter over something Blaise said. He saw the mark of his bruise slightly show from under her collar as her neck elongated. He smirked to himself as he noticed the red headed girl noticed as well and shot him back his own signature look.

Apparently the Weaselette had her suspicions and didn't mind. Draco also found that quite interesting.

He raised his firewhiskey glass to her slightly while giving her a smug look. He raised an eyebrow her way as she raised her glass to him as well and knocked the liquor back into her throat.

His interest was perked elsewhere when he heard Potter exclaim, "how did you get that to work in here?" He watched his mate smile brightly and give him a long winded explanation. Leave it to Hermione to try to get into an intelligent explanation to someone who is half pissed while half pissed herself.

He saw her smile at him sweetly and noticed her eyes looked glazed over. He knew he should stop her soon if she continued at this pace of drinking since he didn't want her to get sick.

She got up and walked over to the stereo she placed in their common area. They left it in their shared space since discovering Draco's love for muggle rock music.

She opened the CD player and carefully placed his favorite Pink Floyd CD back into its case. She ran her fingers delicately over the stack of CDs she had accumulated on the stand next to the player. Her brows were furrowed and her lips were pursed.

When she finally found what she was searching for, she let out a triumphant "a-ha!" before placing it in the stereo. She pressed play and turned to watch Potter as the music started.

It must have been something Potter knew immediately, because he stood up and awkwardly shook his hips when the lyrics began.

 _"_ _Hey kids, shake it loose together_ _  
_ _The spotlight's hitting something_ _  
_ _That's been known to change the weather_ _  
_ _We'll kill the fatted calf tonight_ _  
_ _So stick around_ _  
_ _You're gonna hear electric music_ _  
_ _Solid walls of sound."_

He snickered as his tone deaf girlfriend tried to sing the chorus with Potter.

 _"She's got electric boots a mohair suit_ _  
_ _You know I read it in a magazine_ _  
_ _B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets"_

They were both almost yelling the song at each other. At one point, the Weaselette also stood up and danced around Hermione. He watched Hermione in a trance as she swayed her hips side to side and seductively stuck her rear his way.

His breath caught in his throat as she looked to him and winked. He knew he needed to get the others out, and soon.

Potter reached out and grabbed Hermione by her waist in a friendly gesture. However, the wolf inside Draco stirred and snarled. He let out a low growl as a warning to back off, but Potter was too gone to notice.

Hermione caught his eye and her eyes darkened with lust. He loved that she was turned on by his possessiveness. That was one thing he was not expecting. Hermione Granger is a strong, independent woman, and she likes to make it known.

But behind closed doors, she expressed her fondness of his jealously and protectiveness of her. He wondered if she would be submissive during sex…

He shook that thought out of his head. There's still too many people in the room for him to think of Hermione in that capacity.

"Zabini, I can't have another drink! Any more and I'll need to go to sleep before I pass out somewhere in the castle. I'm having too much fun to go to bed yet." She stuck out her bottom lip to his dark skinned friend.

His head shot up as an idea formed in his head. If he got the Weaselette a bit more drunk, maybe her departure would spark the other's as well.

He cleared his throat, "I have an idea."

Hermione raised an eyebrow in question to him, but he looked back towards the others.

"Why don't we play that muggle game Hermione told me about, truth or dare?" He smirked back at her as her friend squealed next to her.

"I love that game! We use to play in the Gryffindor tower all the time. We like to add a bit of truth serum as well so nobody gets out of telling the truth. We play so if the person really doesn't want to say the truth, they do a dare instead and drink." She started to silently clap and run around the room to prepare for the five of them to play.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hermione whispered to them as they sat around in a circle.

"Haven't you wanted me to interact with everyone all night?" She shot him a scathing look.

"You're Slytherin through and through. You wouldn't suggest doing this without a motive." He gave her a smug look.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see." She rolled her eyes at him and turned to the Weaselette, who just came back with everyone's drinks and the truth serum.

Hermione helped her friend pass out everything to everyone before sitting across from him, in between Potter and her friend. She quickly looked side to side to make sure no one watched her as she stuck out her tongue and made a face at him.

He just chuckled under his breath and felt his feelings for her grow even more. He found her playful side endearing, and he loved it even more that she saved it for him.

"Okay, everyone knows the rules. Now we just need to all take a sip so the potion enters all of our systems. I'll go first!" She smiled as everyone took a sip of their drinks.

She turned to Hermione first. "What was the most embarassing thing you witnessed Harry do?"

"One time, when we were on the run and Ron left us," she said the latter part quickly as she turned to Harry and continued, "I accidentally walked into the tent while he was changing. He was so embarrassed that he picked up the first piece of clothing he could find and it was one of my shirts. I have to say Harry, you sure do look great in a purple v-neck." Hermione snickered as she sipped her firewhiskey and the red head bent over with laughter.

"It was the first time I laughed in such a long time that Harry kept it on for the rest of the day. While it may have been a tad embarrassing, I'm glad I had a friend who would wear a skin tight women's shirt and pretend to shimmy his fake boobs just to make me smile." She flashed Potter a smile as he leaned over and rested his head against hers.

"Anything for you 'Mione, you're the closest thing I have to family." Draco's wolf who was internally pacing over the intimacy they were sharing calmed at this statement. He inhaled and found that neither had any scent of arousal around the other. He always heard Hermione say that he was like a brother to her, but to have his wolf recognize it as well soothed his jealously.

"So Blaise, do you like Ginny?" Draco watched as his friend choked on his drink and redden.

Without looking at the witch in question, he drank a large gulp of the burning alcohol. "I'd like to take a dare."

Hermione was smirking and sharing a look with her friend. Blaise may have not verbally said anything, but his actions spoke loud and clear.

Hermione cleared her throat, "Blaise, I dare you fly a lap around the Quidditch Pitch stark naked at the next match OR confess your true feelings about Ginny."

"But I would get expelled for that dare!" He shot back in defense.

Hermione just shrugged, "Only for one." Draco felt pride in his mate for her cunning way of outing his friend.

"Can I least tell this person in private?" He stretched an arm up and reached to scratch his back while obsessively staring at a speck of dirt on the ground.

He watched Hermione smirk and looked at her friend who's face matched her hair. She must of decided to pity them and shook her head. "Sure, you can use my room."

The pair ran off quickly, and once the door closed shut, Hermione fell to the floor in a fit of laughter. Draco just stared at her in interest.

"What? Ginny knows I hate this game. Maybe this will teach her not to play around me anymore. I will never get the look of her mortification out of my head." She giggling again.

"I'm glad Ginny found someone that can be with her." Harry spoke up quietly. This seemed to sober Hermione up immediately.

"Oh Harry, I am so sorry. Was that insensitive of me?" She worried her lip as she gave Potter a pained expression.

"No. I want her to be with someone that makes her happy. I just knew that couldn't of been me." He finished the rest of his drink and hung his head.

"Harry, you'll find someone that makes you happy too. I know you don't think you and Ginny were meant to be. I know you'll find someone who can keep up with your adrenaline fueled lifestyle." He sighed.

"I just knew I wasn't ready for a family after everything we've been through, you know? To have someone that needs me and relies on me every single day. I just, I think I need some time to just be by myself before I'm ready for that."

Hermione ran over and hugged him tightly. "I'll always be here for you Harry." He kissed her temple and stood up.

"I can tell I need to get some sleep. Can you let Ginny know that I'll see her at Christmas and that I didn't leave because of this?" Hermione silently nodded her head and hugged Potter again.

"I love you Harry."

"I love you too, sis."

Draco watched as Hermione stared at Potter's form walking out the door. Once it closed she let out a huge sigh and sat into his lap.

"I hope I didn't make him upset." She buried her nose into his neck and took a calming breath. "I just wasn't thinking. Ginny told me earlier that she fancied Blaise, and I could tell her feelings were reciprocated. I just wanted to help her since I've been such a terrible friend."

He stroked her hair, curling the ends around his fingers. "You're not a bad friend, Hermione. You've needed some space from your old life. Where you, like Potter, was needed at every moment. You've always needed to be quick, smart, and there for everyone else, never giving any time for you. You will spend the rest of your life fighting for others, but I think it's time for you to learn how to be a bit selfish. Now that is something I think I could help you with."

He felt her smile before giving him a slow and sensual kiss into the curve of his neck. "I think that might just be something you can help me with too. You are a spoiled prince."

He scoffed, "Swot." She chucked and smacked him lightly on the arm.

They jerked their heads up to the opening of a door. They both turned to each other and smirked as they saw their disheveled friends with raw and swollen lips.

Blaise coughed forcefully before dramatically yawning. "I think I'm going to head to bed." He then looked smug at the two Heads cozily on the sofa, and definitely not surprised.

"I think that's a great idea. The alcohol is finally getting to my head and I'm quite tired." The Weaselette said while trying to suppress a smile.

"Sorry we didn't get to play more. I'll see you tomorrow at the Great Hall tomorrow Hermione?"

"Yup, of course Gin. Have a… pleasant night." She shot the girl a wink as the climbed out the portrait door.

Once it finally closed, Hermione laid her head onto his chest, right onto of his heart. "I could stay here forever." Draco stiffened quickly before overcoming the flutter in his stomach. He didn't say anything, he didn't feel as if anything had to be said. He just snuggled into her closer and continued to play with her hair.

After a few moments, he felt her breath even out. He moved the curled out of her face and saw her eyes closed shut.

He picked her up bridal style and felt her dead weight in his arms. His stifled a laugh as she began to snore quietly on his journey to her room.

He opened her door to see that her bedding was haphazardly thrown over the mattress. He rolled his eyes and moved to make his way towards his own room before laying her down in his bed.

He transformed her clothes into pajamas before tucking her under the covers. After he striped his own clothes, he climbed in to the space next to her.

As he drifted off to sleep, he felt her snuggle into his side and wrapped herself around him unconsciously. He couldn't wait until she woke up and found herself so comfortably in his bed. With that thought, he let sleep overcome him, and dreamed of the curly hair witch he fell in love with.

* * *

 _A/N: updated 6/6/18_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Hermione felt herself drift back into consciousness but did not want to open her eyes. She felt completely rested. She took a deep breath and stretched out her arms and legs. She was surprised when her outstretched hand was grabbed and tucked back into her side. She felt a body next to her snuggle into her deeply, holding down her limbs as if her moving would disturb his slumber.

She smiled to herself as she wiggled in Draco's and he released a soft growl from the back of his throat. She rotated in his arms, ignoring his further protests, and laughed as he brought his nose to his favorite spot. She enjoyed the light tickle of his breath and his morning stuble.

Her laughter quickly turned into a moan as he began to nibble a suck onto her neck. He pulled himself up and looked her in the eyes. She gasped as she saw them flash gold.

"I see the Wolf wants to come out and play," she said with amusement in her voice. He gave her a lopsided smile before giving her a smug look and baring his sharpened canines. She reached out and ran her fingers over his teeth gently. The moment shifted from one type of intimacy to another. She was showing him how much she trusted both sides of him.

He rewarded her by grounding himself into her and relishing in her moans. His mate's moans called out to him. He wanted to make her his.

He brought his teeth back down to her neck and gently nipped and licked her. He was lost in her flavor that he didn't hear that they had company that welcomed their self in.

"'Mione I am both furious and elated that you did that last night."

Hermione bolted up in shock over hearing her friend storm into her room down the hall. She had forgotten just exactly what position she was in.

The force of Hermione sitting up caused Draco's canines to easily pierce her body and she whelped in both surprise and pain.

Draco pulled away quickly with his eyes bulging out of his head. "Hermione I am so sorry. You have to believe I didn't mean t—"

She watched his face morph from pain and shame into desire as he became transfixed on the mark that he left. Hermione reached over to Draco's side table and picked up his wand. It easily allowed her to perform both silencing and locking spells onto Draco's room.

She gently set the Hawthorn wood back down before grabbing the side of Draco's face. She forced him to look her in the eyes, and she was no longer surprised to see her wolf's golden irises showing through.

"Draco, Wolf, whichever you are, it's okay. I accept you both." She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips gently before leading his face back to the bleeding wound.

She felt him bite down on her again, this time with intent. He sucked on her neck hard, and she was overcome with the desire she felt for him. She moaned his name as she felt him unlatched and lick the wound. He peppered kisses onto the healing skin as she ran her fingers through his hair.

When she looked at Draco again in the eyes, they were silver again. She could tell how much emotion he was showing through to her. His eyes were red rimmed and his lip quivered.

"I am so sorry that happened before you were ready." He hung his head down in shame.

"Draco, if I am correct, then that was only part of the mating bond. You just marked me, but you still haven't completely claimed you. I told you I accepted you, both of you. I have already decided that I want to spend the rest of my life by your side. It was an accident, and I am not upset at all."

"But what if something happens? What if my wolf can't bare that the claim hasn't been completed yet? I never want to pressure you into doing something you're uncomfortable with, but I don't know how I'll be able to stay away from you." He paused and took a deep inhaling breath. "Yo-You already smell incredible. It's changed already. I can't believe I did this to you."

He stood up and punched a whole into the wall. He did it again and again, until Hermione stood up and pulled on the waistband of his pants. His eyes were golden again and his teeth were barred. He almost frightened her. Almost.

"Mate." She felt him stiffen at the word before he relaxed his shoulders. "We will figure this out together. Over holiday we can search for someone to talk to. Maybe a pack. I know most werewolves were neutral to our war. Either way, I know you will protect me." She grabbed his damaged hand and kissed it. Before she could press her wand to it and mutter a healing spell, she always saw his skin lacing itself back together.

"Incredible," she whispered under her breath.

"Hermione, you would really want to spend your holiday doing that? I know we were going to wait until the end of the school year before we started our search for someone to explain to us more about lycanthropy. What about spending the holiday's with your family?" He caressed a finger down her face.

He watched as she blushed and her eyes glossed over. "About that.. I can't spend the holiday's with my family."

"Why not?" His voice was gruff with concern.

"Before we went on the run, I obliviated my parents. I.. It was the safest option for them. They have no idea they even have a daughter to spend the holiday with."

Draco quickly took her into his arms. He felt the wolf within him whimpering for his mate. Family was important, he knew that. He would have done anything for his mother. His wolf-like instincts sharpened his feelings for family even more. He longed to be a part of a large family—to be part of a pack.

He carried her over to the bed and draped her across his lap. She immediately burrowed her face into the crook of his neck while he slowly rubbed soothing circles on her back. He couldn't help but feel guilty a bit over his mate's loss of family. He was in fact on that side during the war, no matter how much he hated him.

A part of him felt vengeful, as if he wanted to sink his teeth into the flesh of any Death Eater's that were left.

"We will set out to find a pack this holiday. My Mother will be at our Villa in France with Andromeda and her family. But once we are out of school, I promise we will find your parents."

She looked at him and let out one more silent whimper before kissing him sweetly on his lips.

"I love you."

He looked at her with shock and could smell that she was nervous. He hadn't expected to hear that from her.

"I love you too Hermione." He leaned his forehead against hers.

He swore to himself that he would do anything to keep her safe and happy.

Anything.

* * *

 _A/N: I am so sorry that it has been so long since I've last wrote. I had finals for school and then once summer hit I knew I wanted to read over my work again. I have changed a few things in each chapter. Please let me know if you notice any mistakes. I don't have a Beta, although I probably should. But I don't exactly know how that works._

 _I'll be rereading and updating both Captivation and To Be Yourself soon, so if you also read those look out for them._

 _Also, this story use to be just Silver, but I changed it as well as the summary. I have no idea whether or not which title was better, so please let me know! Also, I wish I could figure out what I wanted my summary for the story to be._

 _I hope you enjoyed! I know it's short, but I promise I'll try to update this more regularly now._

 _~Delaney_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 _Holy fucking hell._

Hermione groaned as she placed another cooling charm on her body. She felt confused as to how she was in a castle in Scotland during December but her body felt like she was in the Mediterranean sun. She looked up again and saw Draco perched in the armchair with both his hands gripping the sides of the rests. His eyes were glowing gold and he looked at her with such lust that she wasn't sure what would happen if she made a sudden move.

He was also shirtless, _again_ , even though he knew that being turned on warmed her body temperature. She was sure that he was doing it on purpose. She scowled at him from across the room and he just smirked. Yes, definitely on purpose.

It's been two weeks now since he marked her. Two weeks of trying to stay on opposite sides of the room, not being able to sleep together, or share any form of intimacies. They knew it was unwise to come too close together. Hermione knew they shared a strong bond with one another, especially with how many lupine traits she developed.

Her face twitched as she heard Draco's breathing increase from across the room. She knew he wanted her completely, and she was unsure of how much longer she could take being away from him. She longed to be by his side, by his bed, in his arms… feeling his hair and muscular figure against his body… feeling how much he desired her.

She heard him release a soft growl and focused on unsexual things. She knew her scent drove him crazy. Even more so when he could smell how much she craved him. He looked like a hunter stalking his prey, as if he were to pounce and eat her at any moment. She supposed that was what he really wanted to do.

They have been in this stand still with each other since the marking. Hermione felt awful for making him wait until they talked to someone with experience, but he knew how much knowledge meant to her. He told her repeatedly that if it made her more comfortable with accepting him, he would wait a lifetime to be with her.

They were now counting down the moments until they could leave Hogwarts. It's currently 9:05 am and the train leaves Hogwarts at 11 am. They had their trunks packed, shrunk and ready to go. They now had to wait another 55 minutes until they could go down and help corral the younger students to the Hogwarts Express.

She felt her skin boil again, and decided that she had enough time for another cold shower. She stood up, watching as Draco trailed her every move. She tiptoed closer to him.

 _Quietly… Steady… Almost there now_

When she stood on a few centimeters away from his body, she grabbed him by the back of the head and gave him a passionate kiss. He immediately went to grab her in order to dominate their kiss, something they had not done in the past weeks. Other than an occasional peck on the cheek or lips.

She immediately ducked out of his arms and ran up the stairs and into the bathroom, laughing the entire way. She heard Draco pursuing her, but she quickly shut the door and warded it.

She sighed in relief as the cool, refreshing water hit her skin. She could stand under the water for hours. Her body still needed time to adjust to the changes that her body was going through, and the higher body temperature did not feel normal yet.

She stepped out of the shower, quickly dried off her body and hair, and changed back into clothes. She took a deep breath and opened the door to find Draco standing in front of the door, pouting. She noted that his eyes were now back to their normal silver shade.

"That wasn't very nice." He puckered his lips. She smiled at him and patted his cheek with her hand. She sung a tune that her parents always sang to her when she was little when she threw temper tantrums over not getting her way.

" _you can't always get what you wa-a-ant."_

She side stepped him and skipped down the stairs, waiting a few beats before turning back again.

" _you can't always get what you wa-a-ant."_

She giggled as she finished climbing down the stairs, _"_ _But if you try sometimes, you might find_ _,_ _  
_ _you get what you neeed."_

Her breath caught as she felt something force her to halt and spin around. "But I _need_ you, witch."

There was no heat to his gaze. Just longing and admiration. She could tell how honest his eyes were. She could always see right through him because of what they could show her.

"You already have me, love. Soon, I promise." He gave her a quick upturn of a smile before kissing her nose.

"Alright witch, you made us late. It is now 10:05, and we need to head out." He reached for the door, holding it open for her, "after you my Lady."

"Why thank you, my Lord." She smirked at him before taking his elbow and heading down the hallway. She swore she saw a flash of gold in his eyes. _Hmm, something to remember._

They spent the next 50 minutes making sure that everyone was where they needed to be. They gave the prefects the schedule of the monitoring duty before taking their seats in the Head carriage.

Instead of sitting across from him, Hermione took the seat right next too him. She felt him tense as she rested her head on his shoulder and threaded her hand through his. But it felt so right, and she hummed in delight. She felt him relax a bit, and he began to rub her entangled hand with his thumb. It wasn't long after when she finally fell asleep to the soothing scent of home.

* * *

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Hermione huffed as she looked around. She saw nothing but trees. Actually, the only thing she saw the past four days were trees. They were finally in the forest that Draco had a lead on.

"They are close, I can smell them. It won't be long now, maybe another couple days." He had a determined look on his face as he lead them, to what Hermione saw, was nowhere.

"We've been walking for close to 8 hours now Draco, I think we should set up camp soon." He looked her over appraisingly before giving her a quick nod and setting down his backpack. Hermione began working on the wards that she perfected on the run with Harry while Draco unpacked their tent.

After an hour of hard work, Hermione finally wiped away the sweat from her forehead. The wards were wonderful, but definitely drained her magic. She walked through the tent flap and instantly felt amazed again over the power of magic. Their tent almost looked like a cozy cottage. Wooden floors, a blazing fire, a green fuzzy rug right in the middle. To the side they had their full sized bed that Draco refused to make every morning. They even had a small kitchenette that Hermione stocked with food to last them two months, even though they had to be back to school in two weeks.

She inhaled and felt her mouth immediately water. "What are you making?" she kicked off her shoes and ran he toes through the soft, fuzzy carpet.

Draco looked up to her and smiled, "Guess."

She gave him a thoughtful expression, "Well, considering you only know how to make rare meat, soup, and burnt toast, and the fact that the full moon is in three days, I'm assuming some sort of meat."

He scoffed at her, "Hey now, I know you like the meat rare now, witch. You don't fool me."

She didn't answer, but knew he was right. The closer the full moon got, the more her wolf-like tendencies began to show through more. Her hearing improved, her body had become more accustomed to the warmer body temperature, she could smell literally everything. The last one amazed her. She never knew how many scents there really were until recently. She began to study and compartmentalize the different smells she learned.

The last two were her least favorite traits. Her fondness for meat so rare it was bloody, and her amplified sex drive. The fact that the two wanted to jump each other at every moment was putting a strain on their adventure. The hike they began every day to find the pack was spent mostly silent. They still liked to tease each other and talk, but with their enhanced senses and sexual urges, the teasing became rather heated quickly.

The fact that they spent the night in the same bed did not help. It was much easier back at Hogwarts when they had separate dorm rooms.

He finished on the light cook on the meat and placed it on two plates. He carried them over to the front of the fire and handed one to Hermione, plopping himself down on a side of their couch. He took a big bite and groaned in content.

"Are you sure we are on the right path Draco?" She resisted the urge the pick up the piece of meat and devour it quickly, simply cutting off small bites with a knife instead.

"Yes," he said with his mouth full. He put of his finger, silently telling Hermione to give him a moment to finish. "My wolf can tell that there is a pack nearby. It's almost as if he is scratching and clawing his way through my body to get to them."

Draco loved the way Hermione's mouth formed into a cute little "o" shape. He imagined what she would look like down on her knees with that face in front of him.. and wondered in that was the face she would make during a sensational orgasm.. or maybe it would look more like when she's in deep concentration, her face scrunched up, but with her eyes closed in pleasure..

He shook himself out of his reverie when he realized Hermione was speaking to him. "What?" He asked her, even though she was giving him that look of pure annoyance, most likely knowing where his thoughts actually were going.

"I said, is that why you've become so antsy to find them? The past two nights I had to remind you that we needed to set up camp before nightfall. I feel like you would have continued on if I didn't say anything."

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "Wolves are social creatures. I have always dreamed of finding a pack to become a part of. Especially with Father in Azkaban and Mother spending most of her time on the Continent, away from Britain and the looks of contempt she gets when she leaves the Manor. My family is part of my pack, but without them I feel almost… incomplete. With you being around more, though, I feel more whole than I have in a while." He set both his and her plate on the side table before taking her by both her hands.

"Just, I can't thank you enough for giving me a chance. I know I don't deserve you. You're even spending your Holiday with me in the middle of nowhere to help me find a pact. Just don't forget how much you mean to me."

Hermione felt her eyes become more wet as Draco talked. She kissed him lightly on the lips. "I love you too. Now lets go to bed, we have an early start tomorrow so we can find the werewolves." He smiled at her but took her outreached hand as she lead him to bed.

When Draco was about to fall asleep, he heard Hermione whisper his name quietly while running her hands over his chest.

"Mhmm?" He purred at her caress of his body.

"Don't forget that I don't think I deserve you either." His eyes shot open quickly and took in her beautiful cinnamon brown eyes in the candlelight.

"How could I possibly deserve a love so pure as this. It feels too perfect to be true. So let's just agree instead that we both do deserve each other, or else this could be a lot of back and forth." He felt her smile against his skin.

"Anything love."

* * *

 _A/N: A bit of a longer one since I'm going to be away this weekend. I wanted to make sure I got it out before I left. Enjoy! Please leave a review. Every one helps my writing. Thank you for all the love and support so far!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Draco we are going in circles now. We passed that tree three hours ago." Hermione grabbed Draco's arm to get his attention, but his body stood rigid in alert. She tugged his arm again and this time happened to be graced by a flash of his eyes. The words died on her lips as she met a pair of golden irises.

"We're close." He voice cut sharp with finality. She just held her tongue and nodded silently, allowing him to drag her in the direction he wanted.

The longer the pair walked, which seemed to be aimlessly so to Hermione, the more alert she could feel her own senses. She could feel her very own magical essence stirring inside of her. A twig snapped in the direction of her periphery.

"Did you hear—", but her sentence was silenced by Draco's finger, informing her to be quiet.

Suddenly, Draco began to growl. Not just a low, warning growl that he let out when she irritated or annoyed him. Instead, he pulled Hermione behind him and barred his fangs threateningly. His grip on her made Hermione feel as if she may loose circulation to her hand. He pressed his entire body against hers, making Hermione's heart flutter over the amount of protection he gave her.

"Well hello again pup."

Hermione stood on her tippy toes to look over Draco's shoulder at their abrupt visitor. She nearly fell back from the sharp inhale of breath she took at who she saw. She reached to her holster to grab her want, however Draco quickly gripped her hand to her side. She glared at him for putting her in this situation.

"Hello alpha," Draco articulated venomously.

Fenrir clucked his lips with smug grin, "What, are you not happy to see you again Pup? Did you not just spend days searching for my pack."

"I didn't realize that this was your pack. As far as I was concerned you were far, far away from this place trying to escape the Aurors search," he spat out.

Hermione whipped her hand out of Draco's. "This is a trap Draco, we need to bring him to the Aurors _now._ I won't let you take me again and torture me."

"You and what army?" He gestured towards the area around him. For the first time since Greyback approached she looked around. She gulped. They were now completely surrounded. Men and women covered in fabric she would barely consider clothes. To her horror, there also stood children watching her with curious eyes.

"You really think you would trail any other pack pup? I created you cub, you _belong_ to me. I think it's time you learned to respect your superiors," he boomed. Draco kept his fangs barred but lowered his head slightly in submission.

"Fenrir!" A woman shouted from the crowd. Hermione watched as a slim woman with short curly black hair pushed her way through the crowd and to the clearing with a stern expression on her face.

Greyback looked to the approaching figure, and Draco let himself feel amused at the spark of dread that struck Greyback's face. The lean woman walked up to Greyback and pulled on his ear, eliciting a whimper from him before he took her hand and kissed her palm.

"Maybe if you weren't being a menace they wouldn't feel the need to turn you in," she scolded him.

"I'm sorry Miss, but he is a wanted criminal. He captured me and brought me back to Voldemort's lair and watched me be tortured. He even seemed delighted when Bellatrix offered to give me up to him after she was finished." Hermione's face twisted in disgust at the memory invading her thoughts.

Draco felt repulsed when the stranger started laughing. Actually laughing. She looked at the pairs stony and deadly glares before coughing and trying to hide another smile.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but Fenrir would never be delighted in the taking of little skinny things. If I found out he did take such pleasures I would have ripped him limb from limb myself," she flashed a white, razor-sharp smile, "but he would never do such a thing because he is my mate."

Hermione could not keep the stunned look off her face as she watched someone who she's only seen as a _monster_ look at another being almost affectionately. She knew she shouldn't be so shocked, but after years of listening to the drivel of Ron Weasley she must have had some things ingrained.

Such as Death Eaters could not love another human.

Which she could physically witness such complete rubbish before her very eyes.

"No," Draco shouted. "I watched him. I watched him torture people in my own home. I watched as he ripped out the throats of random muggles that were imprisoned in our dungeons."

Hermione looked at Draco as his voice quivered. She ran into him with tearful eyes and held on to him for dear life. Fearing that it may be the last time.

Greyback scoffed, "I never disagreed with you with that. I have tortured people, Pup. But do you honestly think you were the only one the Dark Lord used blackmail on?" he shook his head in disbelief at Draco's cold expression. "Sure, I willingly took his mark for the first war at 30 years old, but I had not yet found my mate and my pack could barely survive winters. They were my only family and I was desperate to help them by whatever means."

He sighed as the woman next to him gently ran her fingers through his untamed hair. "He promised me protection. He told me if he were in power, he would allow us more freedom and safety. So I did what I needed to do."

"One of the many muggle girls forced away from her home seemed to bring me back to life though. I could tell she was the one for me almost immediately." He gripped her hand, "I barely contained myself when I watched the others abuse her in front of me. I snapped and threatened everyone, saying she was mine. Even though they promised me protection, I was still a filthy halfbreed to them. Only good enough to do some of their dirty work. They probably assumed I wanted my go and would dispose of her after," his face grimace. "I never contacted them again after the first fall of the dark lord. I had my family and my mate, who not only helped me manage our pack, but mended us as well. She aided us in becoming a thriving and self sufficient pack." He gave a quick quip of the lips.

"But when The Dark Lord came back, it was different. He was different. He was more cold, and absolutely brutal. He didn't have the packs survival rate against me, but he found out the glue that kept us together and prospering. They dragged my Callie from us, forcing us all to watch her be repeatedly subjected to the crutatious. Even all of our cubs!" He pronounced exasperatedly. "Everything I've ever done, it's always been for the sake of my mate and my pack. The only family I have ever known."

Hermione could not help but to feel distraught over the injustice the war caused everyone. She could clearly see the sincerity in his face, but felt weary on trusting him. She felt a drip of water down her face and realized that it had started raining.

"We need to set up camp Draco," she told him quietly. He still had his eyes focused on Greyback and did not move a muscle. Not even a blink of the eyes.

She felt a sudden hand on her shoulder, and squeaked in shock. She looked up to see the olive toned woman she now knew as Callie, smiling softly at her.

"Stay with the pack tonight. You will be safer with us. I can even begin to teach you some of our customs if you'd like." She smirked as Hermione perked her head up at the suggestion of knowledge. She graciously accepted a blanket offered to her by a young teen girl with strawberry blonde hair and amber eyes.

She looked back at Draco again and heard him give a grunt towards her, never taking his eyes off Greyback. She wanted to stay by his side but knew he would not rest until he was absolutely positive that Greyback meant no harm. If what Greyback said was true, then he would understand the need to protect one's mate.

For now, she just needed to trust the rest of the pack a bit to take care of her. She didn't want to admit, however, how at ease her mind and magic seemed to be in the presence of the pack.

* * *

 _A/N: Hi lovelies! Sorry for the wait. I'm not sure if anyone has read the latest chapter of Captivation yet, but I will say again that I had to take a bit of absence again due to surgery. I got a breast reduction and it was the best decision of my life, even if it left me too tired to write._

 _But my inspiration for my stories is back! It may take me a while to finish editing To Be Yourself, since it is my longest story and probably has the most errors, but I eventually want to be on a regular posting schedule. I have the next chapters for this and Captivation already done and just waiting to be posted!_

 _I'm also debating changing this title **again.** I don't know why, but I am so unsatisfied with the title. I'm now considering "A delicate bite" but I don't know if that's too different from this title._

 _As always, R &R, and thank you for all of the love._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Draco watched as Hermione looked over her shoulder one last time, silently pleading Draco not to do anything too rash. He could not help but to feel absolutely terrified for her life, considering he was the one that just brought her into a well known fugitive's hideout. He knew that, without a doubt, Hermione felt sorry for the old bastard. His mate; too compassionate and forgiving for her own good. The only reason he allowed her to walk away with the pack was due to how _right_ his magic felt once the pack surrounded them. He knew Hermione felt it too by the way her shoulders relaxed as soon as Callie touched her skin.

Draco's eyes rounded back and landed on Greyback's smug face. He looked different from what Draco remembered. The Fenrir Greyback in his memories always acted feral, frenzied, and unstable. This Greyback stood before him calm, cool, and collected. His tone was authoritative; not the malicious voice he remembered from the Manor that sent shivers down his spine.

"Well, are you staying or are you leaving, Pup? I'm guessing you're staying though to be with your mate."

Draco's eyebrows rose to his hairline as Greyback smiled viciously.

"Are you that surprised that I can smell you on that pretty little bitch of yours?"

Draco snapped. He curled his lips and flashed a deathly glare. "If you so much as lay a hand on her I will take great pleasure in killing you slowly." Greyback held his hands up in his defense but didn't take the smirk off his face.

"I'm not the one you need to be worried about Pup, I already have a mate." The warning headed left Draco feeling alarmed and alert.

"What do you mean by that?" The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he worried about Hermione's safety. Merlin, what did he just allow her to walk into? Without waiting for a response, he turned around and sprinted towards the clearing Hermione walked through. He stopped abruptly in his tracks when he came across more trees. There was no sign of anything other that fucking trees in sight. He _needed_ to find Hermione; to hold her; to make sure she was safe. Desperately, he broke into a run feeling beside himself with worry. He was suddlenly stopped by a form, but he frantically tried to rip himself out of the tight hold.

"What did you do to her?" He screamed as he struggled pointlessly against the constricting grip. He could not deny that Greyback was powerful, and certainly no match for himself.

"I did nothing but show you the importance of integrating yourself into the pack. This would have never happened if you let me teach you about the way of the wolf."

"I will fucking kill you," he seethed, but Greyback just let out a harrowing laugh as he let go. Draco fell to the ground and scrambled to get up.

"If you stayed with me, Pup, you would know better than to let an unclaimed witch by herself. There are plenty of unmated males in the pack just waiting to claim her as theirs."

"But I marked her." It was more of a statement, but the question in his voice rang loud and clear.

"Yes, as a _potential mate_ for a wolf. She will no longer be able to breed with a non werewolf even if she wanted to."

Greyback sighed. "Listen, kid, I know she's your soulmate. I could tell even back on… that day… that she was yours. That's why I told Bella I wanted her." Draco's eyes shot up to his, "I didn't actually want her in that way, but I was going to try to smuggle her to the pack. No matter what you think, you are part of my pack Pup. You are a part of my family. I may be a criminal, but my family comes first."

"If she's technically part of the pack already from being my soulmate, then why did you make me think she was in danger?"

Greyback shrugged. "Not just one reason. I wanted you to know there's a lot of things you don't know yet, and you will never know if you leave the pack again. I wanted to teach you that you need to think before you act. You acted very rash back there, and that would not bode well for either of you if that's left unchecked. I also wanted to watch you squirm a bit." He chucked at Draco's glare, "Just because I will protect you with my life, doesn't mean I won't want to torture you in my own ways." He gave Draco a pat on the back and started walking, not waiting for Draco to realize he was leaving.

It took a couple minutes for Draco to catch up to his fast pace, and Fenrir mentally noted he had a lot of training to do with the kid if he ever was going to reach the potential for being his Beta one day.

Draco cleared his throat; breaking the silence, "So were you just busting my bollocks about other's being able to claim Hermione?"

"No," Greyback replied firmly. Draco moved quickly, grabbing Greyback by the throat and pressing him up against the closest tree. He only had his hold on him for a couple of seconds before Greyback wrestled Draco into submission on the cold, hard ground.

"Listen to me kid," he growled, "I don't care how you act with others, but you _will_ treat your alpha with respect. If you try to dominate me again I will not hesitate to sink my teeth into your fragile pale throat and rip it right out." There. There was the menacing voice that always send shivers down Draco's spine.

"Why didn't you tell me I had to go save my mate from rabid werewolves?" Draco's magic crackled at the thought of Hermione being someone else's. She was _his._ He would not hesitate to kill any who dared to lay an unwanted finger on her.

Greyback let out a dry laugh before standing up, placing the heel of his foot on Draco's throat, showing him he could kill him at a moment's notice. "And you think yourself above us, do you? You think we are the ones extremely violent and fanatical when I can tell your own thoughts are plagued with murder." Draco refused to look him in the eye, and Greyback forced him to face him with his mud covered foot.

"I will tell you one time, and one time only Pup. You are not better than us. Granger is not better than us. Just because we live away from society and keep to ourselves does not make us less intelligent, less civilized, or any less moral than you. I have a feeling Granger has already wrapped her mind around that even if you can't seem to," he spat. "You and I are the same. We are compelled to hunt our prey, fuck our mates, protect our families with our lives, and kill anyone who even comes close to damaging any of those basic drives. If I hear you talk about my pack like that one more time, I will sever our pack bond." He grumbled viciously before tacking on, "If you knew anything about our culture, you would know that is far more disgraceful than being killed by your alpha, and you can only assume as to what would happen to Granger then."

He took his foot off of Draco's throat, leaving Draco coughing and gasping for air. "She is fine, kid. My Callie will take good care of her. She would never leave her alone in the pack while sensing her danger. Danger you put her in, I might add. You are lucky Callie is the alpha female and the pack will listen to her. Now come on, you and I have much to prepare for before you can claim Granger on the next full moon."

"Isn't that tomorrow?"

"Yes, which is why you need to pick up your pace. You have a lot to learn. First of all, you need to have access to our home," he roughly grabbed Draco's hand and dragged a sharp claw on his palm, drawing blood and causing Draco to whelp. He forced his hand to contact an invisible barrier in the air. Draco could not help but close his eyes and let a sigh of relief escape as he felt warm, tingly sensations on every inch of his body. He couldn't help but to feel like he was coming home for the first time. His magic had never felt so content, so _right._

When he opened his eyes, he gasped in surprise. The once empty woods transformed into a village. Cottages lined the perimeter of what seemed to be a community area. He listened as he began to hear a trickling of water, confusing him to how he had not seen or smelled the river before now. Children yelled and laughed merrily, splashing around in the water. He felt stunned as he watched Hermione chase a toddler around the riverbed with no shoes on; picking him up and tickling him. How long had he been gone? It was not dark out yet, surely it had not been hours. But she seemed so comfortable, so at—

So at home. So _right._

He raised he gaze to Greyback and saw him smiling fondly at the scene. Looking back, he watched as Hermione handed the toddler off the the dark curly haired witch that had obviously captured Greyback's icy heart.

"I'm not apologizing to you, you know. I'm not going to feel bad for you either. I know exactly what type of person you are." Draco's muttered under his breath, not sounding too convinced with the words coming out of his own mouth.

"I didn't ask for your apologies, nor did I want your forgiveness for my part in the war. But, go on, what type of person am I? A person who does absolutely anything to save the most important people in his life? Don't you think that's a bit much of the pot calling the kettle black?"

"What?" Draco's face scrunched up in confusion. Greyback snorted, "Muggle expression. Seems like your witch has a lot to teach you too."

"I'd never thought I'd see the day where Fenrir Greyback used muggle expressions," Draco said softly. Smiling again as he watched Hermione pretend to be tackled by the small toddler. She stilled for a few moments, allowing the kid's curiosity to peak and get closer to her face. Once the kid was no longer on guard, she jumped up and dashed after the giggling boy. His heart raced as visions of a pregnant Hermione crossed his mind. He was barely nineteen but he couldn't help but feeling as if he _needed_ that in his life; as if the feeling of becoming a father to a cub would be _right_.

"I never thought I'd see the arrogant pouf of a kid who use to order me around like a slave just because I was a halfbreed would show any sense of human decency." Draco felt his cheeks redden as his alpha scolded him indirectly. "We all change Pup, but it is time for you to finally be welcomed home."

 _Home—_

Yes, Draco felt sure his life had never felt so right.

* * *

 _A/n: First one on one interaction with Greyback, what do you guys think? I personally think this is one of my favorite chapters yet. Please read and review; tell me your thoughts! Hermione's POV coming up tomorrow night._


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